Marking machine



Dec. 29, 1936. H AVERY 2,065,497

MARKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 29, 1936 PATENT OFFICE MARKING MACHINE Alfred H. Avery, Malden, Mass, assignor, by mesne assignments, of one-half to North American Holding Corporation, Syracuse,

N. Y., a corporation of New York, and onehalf to Parshad Holding Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 15, 1933, Serial No. 698,116

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and machine for marking ornamental designs and patterns upon blanks of sheet material such as Vamps, quarters and other shoe upper sections used in the manufacture of shoes. The blanks to be marked may be made of leather or skins or textile fabric or any suitable sheet material, depending upon the article of manufacture into which the blanks are to be incorporated.

Heretofore it has been the practice in marking shoe upper sections and similar blanks by means of a transfer'sheet and an embossing plate to place the transfer sheet on the rigid workbed and then to place the blank on the transfer sheet with its finished surface downward against the pigmented surface of the transfer sheet. Then the embossing plate was laid on top of the blank and the pressure was applied by the plung- 'er or press head through the embossing plate and blank to transfer the markings from the pigmented surface of the transfer sheet to the face of the blank corresponding to the design depicted by the projections on the embossing plate. With this procedure there was likelihood of smearing or smootching the finished surface of the blank, which lay throughout its whole extent against the pigmented surface of the transfer sheet. This was objectionable especially in the case of delicately colored blanks.

Furthermore, since the work-bed was rigid and stationary and the pressure was applied perpendicularly to its surface, there was no possible rubbing action between the transfer sheet and the blank at the points to be marked, and the a resulting markings were not altogether satisfactory.

It has also been proposed first to lay the blank to be marked on the bed plate with itsgrain side or finished side upward; then to lay the transfer sheet, with its pigmented surface downward, upon the blank; and then to lay the embossing plate face downward on the transfer sheet and apply pressure to the face of the blank through the embossing plate and the transfer sheet. By this method the projections of the marking plate form indentations or cavities in the finished surface of the blank and deposit the pigment from the transfer sheet in these cavities. This is objectionable both because indentations on the finished side of the blank, for example, the grain side of leather, tend to disfigure the blank, and also because it is difficult if not impossible to erase or remove the spots of pigment from the bottoms of the indentations.

To overcome these objections and otherwise improve marking machines I propose to rearrange the parts, use the plunger opposed to the stationary press member as the platen and mount the transfer sheet on the platen so that the transfer sheet will at no time be in contact with the blank excepting during the actual marking operation, and even during the marking operation will not make contact with the face of the blank at the areas between the indentations formed by the embossing plate with sufficient force to transfer the pigment or disfigure the face of the blank.

With this new method the sharp projections of the embossing plate act on the back side or unfinished side of the blank without danger of injury to the finished side and the pigment from the transfer sheet is applied to the convex surfaces or crowns of the indentations from which it may more readily be erased than from cavities.

With this new machine and method, the platen, constituting one of the two press members, is preferably provided with a cushioned surface of resilient material, so that when the press members are pressed together with the blank between the embossing plate and the transfer sheet, the cushioned surface will yield to the indentations formed by the marking projections in the flexible blank and the flexible and slightly elastic transfer sheet and applied to the cushioned surface of the press member through the blank and the transfer sheet, and will thereby cause a slight rubbing action between the blank and the transfer sheet at the points opposite the projections to insure a better transfer of the pigment.

Other features of the invention consist in novel and improved mechanism for supporting the transfer sheet and automatically feeding it step by step as the machine is operated.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the new machine for practicing the new method;

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the marking machine;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of a marking or embossing plate used in the machine;

Fig. 4 is an edge view ofthe embossing plate shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View on a still larger scale, in vertical cross section, illustrating the normal relation of the work-bed, the embossing plate, the blank to be marked, the transfer sheet and the platen.

The machine herein illustrated comprises a frame Ill constructed with horizontal guideways within which is mounted a sliding bed I2 for supporting the embossing plate, with the article to be marked resting on the working face of the embossing plate. The bed I2 is provided at its front end with a handle I2 by means of which the bed is manually slid back and forth in the ways I I, into and out of position beneath a vertically reciprocable platen I3.

Fixed to the top of platen E3 is an upright stem I4 which slides vertically in ways provided on frame I8. The lower end of a pitman I5 is pivotally conected to the upper end of stem I4 and the upper end of pitman I5 is constructed as a strap surrounding an eccentric I6 fixed to a horizontal shaft I1 journaled in bearings on the frame I0.

Loosely mounted on shaft I1 is a continuously driven pulley I8 provided with a hub I9 which constitutes one member of a clutch. The other member of the clutch is a spring-pressed bolt 28 mounted to slide in a groove formed longitudinally in shaft I1. The spring of the bolt 28 (not shown) yieldingly urges the bolt toward the clutch hub I9 but the bolt is normally held retracted by a shipper lever 2| which is fulcrumed at 22 on the frame II Another spring (not shown) acts on lever 2| to urge the upper arm of the lever yieldingly toward shaft I 1. The lever 2! is made with a rigid downwardly extending arm 23 whose lower end occupies a hole in the forward end of a horizontal slide bar 24. The slide bar 24 extends rearwardly from lever 2| beyond the rear end of the frame and has fixed to its rear end a bracket arm 25 which carries an adjustable stem 25. The end of stem 26 extends forwardly into the path of the rear end of the sliding bed I2.

When the bed I2 is at the limit of its forward movement the upper arm of the shipper lever 2| is in engagement with the bolt 20 and holds the bolt retracted so that the pulley I8 runs idly on shaft I1 and the shaft is at rest. When the bed I2 is shoved rearwardly into position under platen I3 it engages the stem 25 and moves the bracket arm 25 and slide bar 24 toward the rear thereby swinging shipper lever 2| forwardly out of engagement with the bolt 20. Thereupon the spring-pressed bolt 25 connects the clutch hub I9 of driving pulley I8 with the shaft I1 and causes the shaft to rotate with the pulley. The rotation of shaft I1 acts through eccentric I3 and pitman I5 to reciprocate the platen I3 vertically, providing the work-bed i2 is in its operative position under platen I3; but when bed I2 is again pulled forward out from under platen I3 the shipper lever 2| is restored to its normal position and retacts the clutch bolt 20 from the clutch hub I9, thus stopping the rotation of shaft I1 and the reciprocation of the platen. This occurs when the platen is at the limit of its upward movement. A friction device 21 is provided to brake the shaft I1 when the bolt 25 is retracted and to prevent injurious shocks from being imposed upon shipper lever 2! and the members of the clutch mechanism. This friction device includes a wheel 28 fixed to shaft I1 and a brake strap 29, one end of which is fastened to the frame ID. The strap extends around the wheel 28 and is provided with a lining of leather or other suitable friction material. The friction device is preferably applied to the end of the shaft |1 outside of the frame Ii] where it is accessible for adjustment or repair.

To mount the transfer sheet on the platen, two brackets 3| and 32 are secured to the top side of the platen 3, one at the front and one at the rear of the platen. The bracket 3| supports a rotatable spindle 33, to which one end of the transfer sheet 34 is connected, and the bracket 32 supports another rotatable spindle 35, to which the other end of the transfer sheet 34 is connected. The transfer sheet extends from one spindle to the other underneath and across the working face of the platen. The platen is provided with a bottom layer 34 of resilient rubber which provides a cushioned surface on the working face of the platen.

Fixed to one end of the spindle 33 is a ratchet Wheel 36, with which is associated a pawl 31 pivotally mounted at 33 upon a bracket 39 fastened to the proximate face of the vertical median web of the frame ID by means of a screw 40. The screw 48 occupies a vertical slot provided in the base of bracket 39 so that the height of the bracket and pawl 31 may be varied relative to the ratchet wheel 36.

Similarly, the spindle 35 has fixed to one end a ratchet wheel 4|, with which is associated a pawl 42 pivotally mounted at 43 on a bracket 44 fastened to the web of frame II) by a screw 44 opposite bracket 39. Screw 44 also occupies a vertical slot provided in the base of its bracket so that the height of the bracket and pawl 42 may be varied with relation to the ratchet 4|.

The pawls 31 and 42 are made respectively with upwardly extending arms 45 and 46, which are pivotally connected to opposite ends of a link 41. The link 41 extends through a slot 48 formed in the upright web of frame ID. The upper ends of arms 45 and 46 are also weighted, as best illustrated in Fig. 2. The length of link 41 is such that when one pawl is in engagement with its ratchet wheel the other pawl is held out of engagement with its ratchet wheel. The swinging movement of the pawls 31 and 42 in each direction is limited by stop screws 49 and 58, the' former being adjustably mounted upon bracket 39 to engage and stop the upper arm of pawl 31 and the latter being adjustably mounted on bracket 44 to engage and stop the upper arm of pawl 42.

When the pawls are shifted from one position to the other to engage one pawl with its ratchet and disengage the other pawl from its ratchet, the weighted upper ends of the pawl arms are shifted to one side or the other of the axes of the pawls and serve to hold the pawls in the position to which they have been shifted.

Fastened to one end of the platen I3 are two leaf springs 5| and 52, the spring 5| bearing against one end of the spindle 33 and the spring 52 bearing against one end of the spindle 35. These springs act as friction detents, each engaging the end of its spindle to hold the spindle against accidental rotative displacement.

When the platen I3 is reciprocated vertically the ratchet wheels 36 and 4| are also moved vertically with respect to: their pawls 31 and 42 and that pawl which is then in operative position with relation to its ratchet wheel acts to rotate its ratchet wheel step by step at each upward movement of the platen to wind up the transfer sheet on its spindle. The step movement of the transfer sheet occurs near the end of each upward movement of the platen. During the downward movement of the platen the ratchet wheel which is then the active one moves downwardly away from its pawl and while out of engagement with its ratchet the pawl is held by the weighted ends of. both pawls against the stop bolts 49 or 50, as

substantially the same size and outline as the blank which is to be marked. An example of such embossing plate is described in the Edwards Patent No. 1,663,688 dated March 2'7, 1928 and the Edwards Patent No. 1,639,332, dated August 16, 1927. The construction of the plate, as well as its outline and design, may be varied but a typical marking plate appropriate for marking the vamp of a shoe upper is illustrated at 5| in Fig. 3, the

. projections forming the design being indicated at 52. The arrangement of the projections 52 in the form of embossing plate selected for the purpose of illustration will imprint lines of dots on the vamp which serve as guides for sewing ornamental lines of stitching.

The embossing plate 5| is preferably seated upon a bolster plate 53 of the same size and shape as the embossing plate and the bolster plate in turn is preferably seated upon a larger base plate of sheet metal 54, the three plates being secured together by eyelets or tubular rivets 55 with the marking projections on the face of the embossing plate uppermost.

In operation, the embossing plate is placed upon the bed l2, as indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 2 and in section in Fig. 5, and the vamp or other blank B to be marked (Fig. 5) is placed in position flat upon the embossing plate 5| with its edges registering with the edges of the plate. The blank is laid on the embossing plate with the side which is to be marked, that is, the grain side of a piece of leather or the finished side of the blank, whatever the material, uppermost or exposed, the flesh side or unfinished side of the blank resting on the projections 52 of the mark ing plate. This is done while the bed I2 occupies its forward position out from under the platen 13. The bed is then slid rearwardly carrying with it the embossing plate and blank to marking position underneath the platen but with the blank B still out of contact with the transfer sheet as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The rearward movement of the bed acts through the mechanism already described to clutch the continuously rotating pulley I8 to the shaft l1 thereby causing the platen to reciprocate and press the transfer sheet 34 carried by the platen against the face side of the blank. The pressure of the platen will cause the marking projections to indent the blank from the rear side causing the convex side of the indentations on the exposed finished surface of the blank to press against the transfer sheet so that markings are applied from the transfer sheet to the blank in the form of spots or dots reproducing the arrangement or design of the projections on the embossing plate. The resilient or cushioned face 34 of the platen permits the indentations to be pressed slightly into the working face of the platen which helps not only to equalize the pressure over the blank but insures better marking by providing a slight creeping action between the transfer sheet; and since the pigment is applied to the convex surface of the indentations it is readily accessible to be. erased when it has served its purpose.

After each pressing and marking operation the bed I2 is pulled forward which causes the vertical reciprocation of the platen to stop; the marked blank is removed; a new blank is laid on the embossing plate and the process is repeated.

During the continued operation of the machine the transfer sheet is fed automatically step by step in one direction or the other and wound up on one of the spindles 33 or 35, and when it is fully wound up on one of the spindles the operator may quickly and easily reverse the direction of feed by manually swinging the pawls 'on their pivots to their opposite positions.

I claim:

1. The method of marking blanks for shoe uppers and the like by means of a pigmented transfer sheet supported against the cushioned face of a platen and an embossing plate having projections on its face arranged according to the design to be applied to the blank, which comprises placing the blank on the face of the embossing plate with the side of the blank which is to be marked exposed and out of contact with the transfer sheet, and thereafter moving the cushion-supported transfer sheet into contact with the exposed side of the blank and pressing it thereagainst to cause the projections of the embossing plate to indent the blank and press the convex side of the indentations against the transfer sheet and into the transfer sheet and the cushion-faced platen against which the transfer sheet is supported and simultaneously cause a slight rubbing action between the blank and the transfer sheet at points opposite the projections, thereby to transfer markings from the transfer sheet to the convex surfaces of the indentations.

2. The method of marking pieces of leather by means of a pigmented transfer sheet supported against the cushioned face of a platen and an embossing plate having projections on its face arranged according to the design to be applied to the leather piece, which comprises placing the piece of leather on the face of the embossing plate with its flesh side or unfinished side toward the embossing plate and its grain side or finished side exposed and out of contact with the transfer sheet, and thereafter moving the cushion-supported transfer sheet into contact with the exposed side of the leather piece and pressing it thereagainst to cause the projections of the embossing plate to indent the leather piece from the unfinished side and press the convex finished side of the indentations against the transfer sheet and into the transfer sheet and the cushion-faced platen against which the transfer sheet is supported and simultaneously cause a slight rubbing action between the blank and the transfer sheet at points opposite the projections, thereby to transfer markings from the transfer sheet to the convex surfaces of said indentations.

3. The method of marking blanks for shoe uppers and the like by means of a pigmented transfer sheet and an embossing plate having projections on its face arranged according to the design to be applied to the blank, which comprises supporting the transfer sheet against a resilient,

cushioned surface, and pressing the blank between the embossing plate and the transfer sheet so that the projections of the embossing plate indent the blank and the transfer sheet and force the indentations into the resilient cushioned surface supporting the transfer sheet, thereby causing a slight rubbing action between the blank and the transfer sheet at points opposite the projections.

4. A marking machine comprising two opposed press members between which are disposed a transfer sheet and an embossing plate having on its working face marking projections adapted to cause firm contact between the blank to be marked and the transfer sheet at points corresponding to the design of the marking projections, one of the press members being so constructed as to cause a slight rubbing action between the blank and the transfer sheet to rub off pigment from the transfer sheet to the blank at points opposite the projections when the transfer sheet, the blank and the embossing plate are pressed together between the press members.

5. A marking machine comprising two opposed press members, one of which is provided with a cushioned surface of resilient material, an embossing plate, having on its Working face marking projections, disposed between the press members with its working face opposed to the cushioned press member, a transfer sheet between the embossing plate and the cushioned press member, positioned to receive the blank to be marked between the transfer sheet and the embossing plate, said cushioned surface being adapted to yield to indentations applied by the marking projections through the blank and transfer sheet, thereby to cause a slight rubbing action between the blank and the transfer sheet at the points opposite the projections when the transfer sheet, the blank and the embossing plate are pressed together between the press members.

ALFRED H. AVERY. 

